Good, Bad and Mad: Andrew Rosenthal on the News

By Susan Lehman

Dec. 8, 2016

Times Insider delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how news, features and opinion come together at The New York Times. In this podcast, Andrew Rosenthal, a Times Op-Ed columnist, talks about the news — the good, the bad and that which makes him mad.

Image

Ben Carson, left, and Donald J. Trump.CreditTodd Heisler/The New York Times

The worst news this week involves President-elect Donald J. Trump who, Mr. Rosenthal said, has been “mangling values and American national interests” in his rush to act like he is already president. “He is cozying up to Russia, in a dangerous way; antagonizing China, in a dangerous way; and giving comfort to the worst dictators around.”

One of the more maddening things this week, says Mr. Rosenthal is the way that President-elect Trump has been stacking his cabinet with “the entitled, rich, privileged, white men who run Wall Street or large banks or come straight out of the Washington power structure that he supposedly fought against.” Then, says Mr. Rosenthal, the President-elect tosses in a woman or an African-American appointee, and the news tells “fairy tales” about the Mr. Trump moving to “diversify his team.”

The good news? Mr. Rosenthal says he has a problem: He can’t think of any good news, and he invites listeners to send along ideas about something worth celebrating. Go ahead. Cheering suggestions welcome. Send them along to: TimesInsider@nytimes.com.